Really sad: I’m a Grammy Nominated Artist. Want to See My Royalty Statements?

[Sendy]

I honest to god fear a utilitarian age, where people live to work and creativity is shunned. That world doesn't seem very far away at all sometimes.

Isn't it already there? I know many people who work like dogs and they don't have time for any arts...

(Very sad) reality in Germany is that those people who have a job are working more and more overtime till they collapse and those who don't have any job will never get a job and are unemployed for many years, if not decades...

Yes, almost everyone I know with a conventional job is being worked to breaking point. It's very upsetting. It makes me mad when Cameron comes on TV and says the economy's getting better. Maybe in the ivory tower, with their skewed, faked statistics it is, but I don't see it happening in the real world.

A few generations of this and concepts such as free time and privacy will be forgotten.

[b4serenity]

Thanks to the OP for his personal details he shared. And I believe him when he says he put it up to start a discussion on the matter. I just hope people don't start giving him a hard time about being whiny etc. like they did on another music forum!
I don't believe that was his intention at all.

It's all pretty sad. Supposedly Bette Miller tweeted that she only received $114 from Spotify (I believe...could have been Pandora??) for nearly 1.5 million plays in a month!

So, all I have to do is become an entertainment money-maker, create a catalog of music spanning several decades, win 3 Grammy's and these other entertainment career awards** (see below) then I can look forward to royalties like this!!

Oh well, at least I have a day job!


**Awards: Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Grammy Award for Best New Artist, Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Special Tony Award, Golden Globe Award for Best New Star of the Year – Actress, Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance - Variety Or Music Program, People's Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series, People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedic Movie Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special - Comedy-Variety Or Music, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special - Comedy-Variety Or Music

[b4serenity]

I hope this isn't too much of a thread derail but I sometimes feel that all this music inside me is almost more of a curse than a blessing!! I mean I really wouldn't change anything about myself, and I would still choose to have all this music in me if I were asked at birth (not sure how that would work!). But, maybe some of you can relate?

I can't not make music!

[Hink]

I hope this isn't too much of a thread derail but I sometimes feel that all this music inside me is almost more of a curse than a blessing!! I mean I really wouldn't change anything about myself, and I would still choose to have all this music in me if I were asked at birth (not sure how that would work!). But, maybe some of you can relate?

I can't not make music!

I have had this thought myself from time to time but then I started thinking that really the same thing can be said about any passion and occupations so it's somewhat generic. I can surely relate to the feeling but also I have to say there have been many more times I have asked myself "how did I get so lucky to have this passion?"...which is of course just as generic and can be said about anything people really care about or passionate about. So I'm not sure it's really music, though it is for you and I it seems...I have zero regrets either

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Before two of my closest friends started to really get noticed with their own brand of british power trio rock band the virgin marys and are doing extremely well for themselves yet very rarely get any time to themselves this kvr member was in that band. The only thing that has changed with the band is the name and a bass guitar player (plus the tracks are way better in every possible manner without my input/say obviously)

http://www.thevirginmarys.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Virginmarys

So I could be "living the dream" but I'm not. Why am I mentioning this? Because I suspect that I am not alone here in the same type of circumstance or circumstances either by choice (Numerous reasons why it was by choice both positive and negative are out there, So as it is personal I shan't even try to list any) or bad look (Too many possible scenarios to even begin to start listing them and OTOT I don't know everything that could of happened to other people of course).

Some answers to a few questions I used to get asked by people mostly not musicians themselves or involved in some sort of audio related area making a living would be;

Do you look back and regret not being a part of that when they started to get interest?
No.
Are you jealous or bitter that you left something extremely good, Not even a tiny bit envious especially now that the band is working well enough to be their fulltime job?
No, Not even one tiny bit, I'm genuinely delighted that all the work my two close friends and very gifted musicians has began to pay off, Heck they've dedicated more than half their lives towards it pretty much daily and not allowed nothing to get in the way of it.
Do I know how much money they make and if not have you asked? I do not know the answer to that one and hell no have I or would I ask that question. They never asked any sort of question about my income. Personally I think it is a crummy question or need to know information the way I was brought up. All I can say is clearly they are making a living of what they love doing and that is the only important need to know thing as someone who cares as a friend.
If they asked you to join the setup for whatever reason, Would you do it?
No, If they were for whatever reasons stuck without a member then absolutely I'd jump in to fill that gap until they found a proper replacement even though that would never happen.
Do you or have you asked for free gear from them since they are endorsed to use quite a few brands?
No, It does not work like that. It'd be really cool if it did though!
Why did you choose to leave in the first place honestly?
I was and still am a humble fan of metal music mainly, It is a lot more heavy/extreme, I wanted to pursue that direction more and more, Yet I do not listen to that area of music exclusively and nor did I dislike playing a less heavy genre of guitar based music (really). Their was not any bad blood and the eventual last part came when I could not put my absolute 100% in to the band, It is unacceptable and extremely unfair to not be anything but straight up honest with people, Close friend's even more so. It wasn't my heart was not in it but my first child was due and therefore I knew that putting all I have into it was impossible.

So I made the very difficult decision to leave then and told them straight up, It was very emotional. I know I did the right thing at the time and even more so as I type this. I know for certain that I went about it in a good manner also as I still have the honour of being able to call them very close friends and see them/catch up in-person when timing permits. That is the only thing that I would change if I were able to do such, Be able to see them as regular as I would like and that goes just the same for many other people I know and am proud of calling a friend.

As people have mentioned, the music industry (what is left of it anyway and better off in ruins as far as I am concerned) pushes solo "artists" whom are completely controlled and have zero creative freedom *if they actual possess any creativity to start with* as first of all one person is a lot easier to deal with than a group of peoples. Also they seem to like not pushing guitar based stuff a lot unless it is older kind of has beens and super groups, Its been going on for years now and as it happens a very quick report by the BBC with The VirginMarys' featured amongst others was aired in 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16363210

Moral to my experience of shattered dreams and total destruction of hope?

Enjoy what you are doing and f**k everything that you don't. Money means very little without happiness already in place

Best to all as always and sorry for rattling on, I mean the above without ego

Dean aka BITTER AND THEN SOME

[Dean Aka Nekro]

double post

Also to the OP, Congratulations on your success and achievements to you. You must be doing something right and very well. Dwell upon that as much as possible instead of embracing the negative* stuff (easier said than done of course) :tu

Negative things actually I use often to fuel my own music, It helps get me wound up and more angry/aggressive sounding for 'vocals' sans anything actually typically known as singing. Also can make my playing approach change drastically for guitar and bass guitar too. I know this may well not be useful to anyway but just in case

[jancivil]

Going into college next year, this terrifies me. I'm going to a liberal arts school, with a particularly flexible curriculum, which means I don't need to be ruthlessly career driven. But it's hard, seeing stuff like this, not to be. If I can't do music as a career I could continue doing it on the side. But if it's always a task to find time in high school, I can't imagine what it'd be like in the working world. The whole "new paradigm" thing seems the only way to go; music for media (games, movies, whether indie or corporate) is where it's at.

You are smart to be terrified. In the music for media game there is going to be enormous competition. What you need to get is that success in this is not different essentially than show biz success or any material success. You have to impress people, you have to sell yourself, you have to get out and press the flesh.

When I was 16, 17 I hooked up with someone that could write commercial kind of tunes with stupid hooks, and he was sincere about it. I felt at the time like pop music could be something to pursue.
Long story short, the seedy side of the industry was readily apparent to us through our big connection, a functionary in record promotion and, well, procurement (who had experience making records and knew people in the industry. He was the guy who was charged to make sure Ike Turner has enough coke when he's in town.); and our little record was like most little records, UA did not see a future with it. I became interested in other music, as did he and after a time we just didn't have what it takes to make anything of it. He got a job and got married. I went to music school for a couple years. I found out I was a day late and a dollar short for classical solo touring and I got the message consistently enough I'm just not commercial, on top of not being so good I was going to 'win' consistently. Vs Liona Boyd who is about my age.

I don't know how to get away from musical ideas long enough to do anything but take a package from point A to point B. Music for money is a long slog, you need some luck and you have to be suited for it or adjust to it as a personality thing. I'm just not into peddling it as a product. If you want it to be your day job, be prepared to eat some shit and it will probably more resemble a day job than resemble art.
I'm suited to filmic kind of narrative music but I don't think I'd be good for the gig a lot of the time, I'm really flawed as a more prima donna personality. I sunk all of my inheritance and whatever I could set aside into a killer DAW and make music qua music. Ars longa, vita brevis.

[DSmolken]

Yes, almost everyone I know with a conventional job is being worked to breaking point.

Eh, I have a corporate job, either leave work on time or at most a half-hour late, and have more time for music than the college kids with part-time jobs that I know. The only people working 12-16 hour days regularly are upper management types, and they seem to think it's worth it. It's not such a bad life, certainly not compared to being a professional musician, or a farmer and shepherd like my greatgrandparents.

[kelvyn]

Is it wrong to expect some kind of financial remuneration for ones endeavors when it's making money for a third party company or corporation... I don't think so.
There are some mean spirited people out there who seem to be confused by the meaning of the word vocation - a strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity or career - What this doesn't mean is working one's ass off for the benefit of others whilst struggling to make ends meet or being forced to making music as a hobby. Making music because you feel passionate about it doesn't exclude financial rewards and the kind of money the OP is describing after that many plays is obscene. We are being gang banged by business models that will eventually kill the spark that motivates us to take anything we do out of the studio.
I don't make music for money but if someone uses what I create to create their own financial security then I expect to be payed. The balance has tipped the wrong way not only in the music branch (not sure we can call it a business anymore) but in many other occupations where people are expected to work long unpaid hours as interns with no real prospect of ever being taken on. I don't know where this is all leading but i'm sure it's nowhere good. Better get used to the taste of Soylent Green I guess.

[OzoneJunkie]

I personally want to thank all of you. I think that this thread has been a great read so far, one of the top ones on KVR since I've started, to be honest.

It's great to see people giving their perspectives and sharing freely - it's as informative as it is touching - I like when we see our humanity and people speak from the heart.

Regarding being fearful - the future college student, and to all others who may benefit, I offer my humble perspective:

1. I think many people tend to side on science/intellect, which has it's obvious value. But life is also magical - and that magic is everpresent.

2. Life tends to have a magical way of working things out. I won't deny the terrible things that occur in the world, but there's so much good there too.

3. Inner confidence comes from knowing oneself, loving oneself, and believing that whatever life brings, we will adapt and prevail.

4. And lastly, and likely the most important one to me. One that is an internal mantra; one that I use to check myself, my thoughts, my actions. That is this:

With love in our hearts, we create our most beautiful lives.

[LBN]

#OccupySpotify